


Lady in the woods

by Thewrittingpan



Category: Pocket Monsters: Black & White | Pokemon Black and White Versions
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, F/F, F/M, Family Fluff, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Gen, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Hurt No Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Multi, No Smut, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-28
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-12 21:28:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 20
Words: 14,664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29765880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thewrittingpan/pseuds/Thewrittingpan
Summary: N was running through the woods, the rainstorm taking him completely by surprise. When he stumbles into a cave -two small pokemon in hand- he's even more shocked to find you sitting in the center of the cave cooking food for the pokemon surrounding you. When morning comes and he finds himself alone he feels that he'll meet you again.
Relationships: N | Natural Harmonia Gropius/Reader
Kudos: 8





	1. Chapter 1

One summer evening it suddenly started to storm. N, had been walking through the woods looking for any hurt pokemon. He ended hurriedly looking for shelter, a small joltik, and sewaddle in his arms. 

N, stumbled upon a cave. He could see light inside the cave and wondered if he should look for another. Before he could choose though the joltik in his arms spoke to him.

”In there! In there!”

N, didn't have a choice. The storm was only getting stronger. As he reached the mouth of the cave he saw that there were evolution stones dangling on a string from the top of the cave’s opening. The stones caught the light of the fire sending small beams of bright colors across the cave walls. 

On one side of the cave was a pond. On the other was a makeshift nest that held a few eggs. In the center of it was you. 

Your back faced him and you must not have heard him enter. You sat by the fire working on something. The Pokemon in the cave, however, did notice him. A Dragonair turned to him and was ready to lunge at him. A scolipede stood to its full height alert. The smaller Pokemon in the cave moved to hide behind the larger ones. At the movement of the Pokemon, you turned around. 

You sat there with a large bubbling pot of curry in your hands. ”Hello, ” your voice was quiet, ”How can I help you?” 

”Leave!” hissed the scolipede behind you. 

”I’m just trying to get these two out of the rain, ” he spoke calmly. 

You nodded slightly and set down the steaming pot. You gestured with your hand to the two larger Pokemon. Almost immediately they relaxed. Both still kept an eye on the stranger in front of them though. 

”Come sit, you can have some too, ” you smiled at him. 

N, placed the two Pokemon on the ground they wandered over to you. An Axew waddled over to you along with an Eevee behind him; both carried dishes. 

You started serving the curry two the Pokemon. 

”I hope you don't mind me asking, ” N said, ”How long have you been here?” 

You blinked drawing a blank. ”I don't remember, do you?” you looked over at Dragonair. 

”3 weeks, ” the Pokemon spoke to you. 

”3 weeks huh?” you scratched your head, ”I thought it was less.”

You stood and placed two large plates on the ground one by Dragonair and one by Scolipede. 

”You can understand them?” 

You looked up at him from dishing up another two plates of curry. 

”Yes, is, ” you paused, ”Is that weird?” 

”I just haven't met another person who could.” 

You placed one plate on the ground for Joltik and Sewaddle. The other you gave to Eevee and Axew. 

Scolipede stood and moved towards the pond. When he moved, N could see the large scar that ran down his side. 

You didn't even need to look at, N, to know the look of shock that crossed his face. Everyone had the same look. 

”Can I ask?” 

Scoliopede, just looked at, N, with a blank look. ”Pokemon trainers, who took the fight too far.” 

You finished dishing up the last of the curry and handed the plate to N. 

”Aren’t you going to eat?” N looked at the plate and back at you and the empty pot. 

”I’ll be fine, you eat it,”

Dragonair, looked down at you and nudged his half-empty plate towards you. When you didn't even look at it he laid his head on your shoulder. 

You reached up and rubbed the top of Dragonair’s head. ”You eat it, I’ll eat in the morning.” 

Dragonair clearly didn't like that but he gave up. You were too stubborn to listen. ”I’m holding you to that.”

You sat peacefully watching the smaller Pokemon play. Scolipede, took his usual spot by the cave entrance watching for any trainers. Dragonair, curled up around you resting his head on your lap. 

When N awoke in the morning both you and the Pokemon were gone. There wasn't a trace that you were even there. It seemed like a dream. He looked around the cave, there was nothing. 

The best was empty minus an eggshell. The string of evolution stones wasn't hanging from the cave’s entrance. The fire was put out long ago. The only sign you were even there was the bundle on top of a rock. When, N, unwrapped it he found food. Some cut fruit, a sandwich, and a small container of water. 


	2. Chapter 2

N, was puzzled by the stranger he had met in the forest just, disappeared without a trace. It had been just over a week since the night in the woods. He had continued on with his travels with a feeling that he would meet you again. He had stopped in town to grab a few things. The city was full of people and Pokemon each one going about their life happily. Stepping into a store he saw a familiar-looking Eevee and Axew. 

”It’s you!” the two squealed running over. 

N, bent down petting both of them on the head. ”How have you two been?” he laughed softly. 

”Fine!” both cheered.

The soft sound of footsteps and keys jingling made Eevee run back in the direction it came from. Axew tugged lightly on his sleeve before following Eevee. 

N, followed the two Pokemon down an aisle where you were carrying a basket of things. 

”There you guys are, ” you smiled just like the first time he met you. ”And I see you found a friend.” 

Eevee jumped up into the basket and Axew crawled up your leg to your shoulder. 

”How have you been?” N asked not expecting to meet you here. ”You just disappeared last time I saw you.” 

”I did, didn’t I?” you rubbed your head and looked at the ground. ”I suppose I should explain that huh?” 

”Preferably, but you don't have to.” 

”No, no, ” you waved your hand, ” I vanished on you. You deserve to know why. Come, we can talk over a cup of tea.” 

”Sure, but I have to grab a few things first.” 

”Okay, three blocks down on the right when you leave. There's a nice cafe on the corner there.” you said walking past him. Eevee jumped out of the basket and sat by N’s feet. 

”I’ll lead him there!” she spoke. 

”Alright, don't let him get lost dear.” you laughed turning the corner. 

You sat at an outside table at the cafe. Axew, sat on top of the table nibbling on some pastries. Dragonair, had left it's pokeball and was happily curled up under the table watching people pass by. 

You looked up hearing, Eevee’s, voice. She was walking alongside, N. Axew, waved at them with a bright smile. 

”You didn’t get lost, did you?” you questioned teasingly. 

”Luckily I had Eevee to show the way, ” he joked, taking a seat across from you. 

Axew, offered, N, one of the pastries. 

”Something occurred to me when we were waiting for you.” You looked, N, in the eye. ”We never introduced ourselves. My name is Y/N, it's a pleasure.” 

”My name is N, ” he said, shaking your hand. 

You took a sip from your drink before speaking. ”It's nice to put a name to the face.”


	3. Chapter 3

Just like the last two times N had seen you, you disappeared. The day after you went to the cafe you had left. You weren’t in town and not in the surrounding area. N had decided to ask the local Pokemon for assistance, and even then they had no answers. 

N felt a heart-wrenching feeling of loneliness overtake him as he roamed to his next stop. He had no real goal on his journey other than to help any Pokemon who needed it. In that way, he was like you. 

You traveled with the goal of being a temporary caretaker of anyone who needed help. N didn't know much else. He did not know if you had a home you would return to eventually. He didn't know of your past. N didn't know much about you, but he did know you were kind and gentle. 

N did not find you for another few weeks. He had started to believe that he would never see you again. That upsetting feeling made him have nightmares. One's where he was alone and forgotten. 

When N saw you again it was yet another random occurrence. On N’s adventure, he had stopped in a forest to look for any injured Pokemon. This particular forest had a few uncommon Pokemon in it and also wanted to check for any caught in traps. 

N had been searching the forest for hours and had yet to find a thing. Not one trap, pokemon, or trainer even. It was a pleasing surprise. 

Upon finding a small but lovely waterfall, N, was shocked to find you knee-deep in water. You had pushed your hair out of your face. Water splashed against your legs your shorts getting a tad bit wet. 

You were laughing as Dragonair splashed around in the stream. A pail of water in your hands. An Umbreon had come dashing in from one of the bushes and jumped onto your back. 

Unscathed from your fall you picked up your bucket and sent a small wave of water over the top of Umbreon’s head. You stuck out your tongue as you refilled the pail and wandered out of the water. 

You picked up a pair of shoes as opened your mouth before freezing. Your eyes met N’s, you both stood frozen. You closed your mouth before opening it again.

”Hello, N.” you smiled, ”Care for a mid-day dip?” you gestured to the stream. 

The Pokemon looked over at the mention of the boy. The Umbreon’s eyes lit up before they pounced on him. 

“It’s so good to see you again!”

N, laughed at Umbreon and ran his hand over their head. “I see you evolved.”

Dragonair looked displeased at N’s return into your life. Dragonair didn’t hate, N, but they also did not like him. While Dragonair did not like, N, they still nodded in greeting. 

”Would you like to join us for a bite to eat?” 

”Please!” Umbreon begged.

”Anything to eat your cooking again.”

You let out a laugh your cheeks turning pink. ”Silver-tongued boy.” you rolled your eyes, ”Come on then.” 

N followed you and your Pokemon through the brush. A small cottage was hidden not too far from the stream. A small but vibrant garden was beside your home. Some Pokemon were playing in the yard. 

Scolipede was pacing around the area on alert. Upon seeing you he wandered over, he bent his head down in greeting when he came to stand in front of N and you. 

”It’s been a while N.”

”It has, hasn't it?” 

Scolipede turned to look at you, ”The younger ones are getting restless, I recommend starting food as soon as possible.”

”Alright, keep them under control while I get things ready, ” you spoke softly, a smile on your face. 

N watched you prepare food, he watched you cut the fruits and mix your soup. He sat there as you worked. You're soft humming, the way you just flowed around the room. As he watched, N realized he loved you. 


	4. Chapter 4

N mulled over his emotions as he got to spend more time with you. What about you made him feel like this? You were kind, sweet, and you cared for the Pokémon as he did. You were not the same as the other trainers, you only had Pokémon who joined you willingly. 

“If I could,” you told him, ”They wouldn't ever be inside their pokeballs,” but with your larger Pokémon, trips to town would be even more of a hassle. 

Right now, however, you were sleeping. Passed out under a tree, light cascading down onto your face through the veil of leaves. In your arms, we're two sleeping Pokemon; Emolga, and Cubchoo. A Litwick was seated next to you, its eyes half-closed. 

You cracked open your eyes, a yawn escaping your throat. The two sleeping pokemon in your arms let out a whine at your movement. With a bit of maneuvering, you managed to get up without disturbing the sleeping Pokémon too much.

You stretched your arms up towards the sky, your bones making a popping sound. Still kneeling in the grass; you blinked a few times gathering your surroundings. with a drawn-out whine, you finally stood up and walked towards your home. 

”So tired, ” you muttered, as you rubbed your eyes. 

N smiled at you, ”You did stay up most of the night.” 

”It was so I could triple check for traps.”

”I understand that, but I told you that I could have checked instead.”

”I know, but that’s not important right now.” you walked up to your door, ”I have to help set up lunch. Will you be alright watching everyone until I'm done?” 

N gave you a shooing motion, ”I’ll take care of them, don't worry.” 

While you went to the kitchen N waited outside. He surveyed the area making a mental note of the Pokemon he saw. The three were still asleep under the tree but in the garden, there were a couple of Sunflora. Your Dragonair was not too far away in the river behind your home. He had taken some of the forest Pokemon to go swimming. Scolipede, however, was wandering around. He was going around the area checking on each Pokemon and watching for any trainers or hunters. 

You, on the other hand, were busy inside. Moving between different tasks you had two small side salads ready, and we're now focused on finishing the sandwiches. Once, you were completed with both N and your food you moved on to the pokemon’s food. 

Some of the Pokemon currently in your care had certain diets due to their age, allergies, and health. You made sure that each meal was correct and started to head towards the door to announce lunch. You set a couple of the special meals on the table before ringing a small bell when you went back in. 

Some of the Pokemon came running towards the house, excited to eat. Others walked slowly with no care in the world. A few waited calmly for you to bring them their meals and others would follow you around until they were called. 

”Cubchoo, ” you said, stepping through the small crowd and placing it in front of the small Pokemon. ”Litwick?” you called, the Pokemon coming over quickly.

You went around giving out food before joining N back at the table. He had set up the table as you handed out the pokemon’s meals. You sat down across from N letting out a long sigh. 

” It's always crazy around lunch.” you reached for the pitcher of lemonade. 

”You handle it extremely well, ” N said looking at you. ”You take such good care of each of them. You listen to what's wrong, you help when they're hurt. Most importantly, you keep them safe.” N smiled at you taking a drink. ”You're amazing.”

”I’ve seen you find Pokemon traps in only a few minutes, you're more amazing than I could ever be.” 

N let out a hum as he thought, ”Nope! You know so much about how to keep these friends out of trouble.”

”You figured out that Venipede ate bad berries faster than I ever could. How did you even know?”

”Oh well, it makes Pokemon sick to their stomachs, and they kind of get dizzy.” 

”Do you know any good remedies for that?”

You both talked over lunch about remedies and herbs, along with other ways to help injured Pokemon. It was peaceful and calm. The smell of your freshly bloomed flowers. A happy sound of chattering Pokemon. Along with the cool taste of lemonade that was just the right amount of sweet. 

It was calm, and you wouldn't change it for the world. 


	5. Chapter 5

You had decided after lunch yesterday, that you would be leaving home once again. The reason for this decision was that some Pokemon were talking about some strange things happening out in the mountains. Upon hearing this you had a gut feeling that you needed to go. Having yet to tell N of your plan you started conversing with your team about a plan. 

You were sitting on your bed with Umbreon laying next to you. Scolipede was standing outside with his head through the window. Dragonair was at the foot of the bed looking at the map you had laid out. 

”We need to head up this way and cross the river.” you pointed at the map. 

”That’s at least a four-day trip, ” Umbreon chimed in. 

You looked over at Scolipede, ”How long will it take?”

Scolipede lowered his head towards the map and thought for a moment before speaking. ”Two days if we travel through the night, we can make it in 3 if we don't.” 

”Who should we bring?” Dragonair asked looking towards you, ”We don't have the slightest clue what's going on out there. If just us go we might be in over our heads.”

”Zorua; if there's any trouble they can help with a quick escape.” 

”What about if we need to fight our way out?”

”Absol,” you said after thinking for a moment. 

”That leaves one open position, ” Umbreon pointed out, ”Is anyone going to go?” 

”No, with just the six of us I think we’ll be okay. We have to travel light and I fear that bringing another will slow us down.” The group nodded at your words. 

”It’s incredibly important that we be careful and don't get found out. We do not have the most balanced team this time around, we can not be careless.” 

”Alright, when do we leave?” Scolipede spoke, taking his eyes off the map. 

”Sunrise. Scolipede please tell Zorua and Absol.” You folded up the map, ”You guys go get some rest.” 

A knock-on your door drew you out of your planning. You looked up to see N poking his head through the door. 

”Sorry to interrupt, but Litwick can't fall asleep and wants you to put them to bed.” N pushed open the door to reveal the Pokemon in question hiding behind his leg.

With a smile, you bent down and opened your arms. Litwick came bounding over happily jumping into your arms. You motioned for N to join you on the bed. You set Litwick on the covers and let him get comfortable before humming him off to sleep. 

”It’s amazing, how you can just put them to sleep like that.”

”Thank you for saying that, but I have to ask you for something.”

N looked up at you, ”What’s that?”

”My team and I are heading to the mountains.” you explained, ”There’s something going on, and we need to figure out what. I need someone to watch the sick Pokemon.” 

”Wouldn’t it be better for you to stay? I could go see what's happening in the mountains.” 

”I’m glad you offered, but we’re heading out in the morning.”

”Shouldn't you have told me earlier?”

”I should have, but we need to see what's happening as soon as possible. We’ll only be gone for around four days. Please, watch over my family. I don't want anyone to get hurt when I'm gone.” 

”I should go instead, ” N told you, before leaving the room.

In the morning, you had packed a bag and were getting everything ready to depart. You were bringing with you a few changes of clothes, some cooking supplies, and most importantly medical supplies, along with a compass and map. 

You had bought your bag outside and were double checking everything with your team. Scolipede was next to you with a tent and sleeping bag on his back. 

”We’ll walk until nightfall, and then set up camp?” 

”That sounds fine.” Scolipede nodded in agreement. 

”Alright! It's time to get going, you guys!” you called out. 

Dragonair came to your side with the others. You helped Zorua up onto Scolipede’s back. Turning to Dragonair, Umbreon, and Absol, you bent down and held out their Pokeballs.

”There's something I don't understand.”

You turned to N, ”What do you mean?”

”Why do you have to go? You could be going to a potentially dangerous place, I don't want any of you to get hurt.”

”I’ll make sure none of them get hurt, I don’t care if I have to die in order to do that.” 

”They won't let you do that.” N grabbed a hold of your wrist. ”I’ve seen how they care about you. Do you really think they’ll let you die for them? Are you that stupid?”

”My life doesn't matter if they and other Pokemon stay safe.” you pulled your hand out N’s grip. ”I get that you don't want me to go. I know it's not smart but I have to make sure everything is okay.” 

”Let me go with you.” 

”Someone has to take care of everyone here.” you turned around and held out the Pokeballs. 

Dragonair, Absol, and Umbreon all returned to their Pokeball with no complaints. Scolipede bent down to help you up onto his back. 

”I have to take care of this, N.” you looked back at him. ”I’m sorry that you can't come with me.” with a light tap on Scolipede’s neck you singled you were ready to go. 

”Just, promise to stay safe, ” N told you.

”I will.” you turned around, tapping your fingers on your leg.


	6. Chapter 6

You had given N permission to sleep in your room while you were gone. After getting ready to go to sleep he heard a tap at the door.  You have been gone for two days. Every second that you were gone, the more N worried. It was clear some of the Pokemon liked you more than him. 

Litwick was more than excited to play a few tricks on N. In the night Litwick would sneak in and hide N’s hat. Some of his shoes would end up in the garden. This night, however, Litwick had no such plans.  When N opened the bedroom door Litwick was standing at his feet. The small Pokemon looked up at N before speaking to him. 

”Can I stay in here?”

N nodded slightly, moving so the Pokémon could come in. He helped Litwick climb onto the bed. 

”Is there a reason you wanted to stay in here?”

Litwick looked over towards N, “I can’t sleep.” His voice was soft, quiet, and had a sorrowful tone to it.

”Alright, I don't mind you staying in here.” N turned off one of the lamps in the room. ”You miss them, don't you?”

Silence hung heavy in the air. 

”Yes.” 

”That makes two of us.”

”Do you, ” Litwick started, ”Do you think they're okay?”

”I hope so.”

You weren't. After managing to make it to the mountains earlier than expected. You saw Pokemon trappers. 

There were six of them. One was in the driver's seat of a truck, three of them were loading caged Pokemon into the back of the truck. The other two were bringing more Pokemon to the truck. 

You could make out at least three Pokemon on the truck, but there were probably more. Watching in horror you saw one of two of the men kick an Altaria who was being brought to the truck. 

You had to cover your mouth so as to not let out a sob. As Altaria cried out for help. 

Scolipede stood to his full height awaiting your command. Zorua looked at you expectantly. 

”Zorua, ” you glanced at the Pokemon, ”Change into a Wigglytuff, you'll distract them. Absol and Scolipede, you'll help me rescue them. Umbreon, you’ll have to make sure they don't get their hands on Zorua.” You looked at your team, each of them nodded at their roles. ”Dragonair, you're going to be on standby.” you held out their Pokeball, ”I might need to keep a card up my sleeve.” 

Dragonair nodded, ”I understand, ” they said returning to their Pokeball. 

Zorua, who looked like a Wigglytuff, was waiting for your signal. You held your hand up and waited until the men were close enough to the truck. Once the Altaria was put into the truck you dropped your hand signaling for Zorua to go. 

The man in the driver’s seat shouted and got out motioning for the others to help. The others followed running after, leaving the truck behind. Scolipede, Absol, and you jumped over the rocks and ran towards the truck. 

Once you climbed in the truck, you could see around ten Pokemon all in cages. 

You bent down to the Altaria. ”Are you okay?”

The Altaria nodded slowly. 

Slowly, not to panic the already terrified Pokemon, pulled out a knife and popped one of the truck's tires. You worked on opening the cages with the help of Absol and Scolipede. Within less than a few minutes you had successfully opened all of the cages and we're helping the Pokemon out. 

All except for one. An Emolga was unable to move due to a broken bone. You carefully picked up the hurt Pokemon and turned to Scolipede. 

The other caged Pokemon had already fled and you needed to regroup with Zorua and Umbreon. 

”We need to leave, they're probably on their way back.” Scolipede said.

You climbed down onto his back and motioned for Absol to follow you. ” Let's go.” 

Scolipede, not needing to be told twice, took off, Absol on his heels.

The Emolga looked up at you terrified, ”Where are we going?”

”Away from here, We’ll keep you safe.”

Scolipede ran off in the direction of the camp where Zorua and Umbreon were to meet up with you. Scolipede ran fast, careful not to hit any trees and low-hanging branches. 

Through the trees, you caught a glimpse of Umbreon and Zorua. You all made it to the campsite. Umbreon came up to you Zorua on her back. 

You climbed off Scolipede careful not to hurt Emolga. You stepped towards Umbreon and Zorua. 

”I’m sorry, I didn't see it, ” Zorua spoke, lowering their head.

”What didn't you see?” you questioned stepping closer just to let out a choked sob. 

Zorua’s back leg was unsalvageable. ”I got... I got caught in a trap...” they cried. 

You bent down and rubbed Zorua’s head. ”It’s okay, You’ll be okay...” You kissed their head as they cried.


	7. Chapter 7

You didn't want to let Zorua go. You never wanted to let them go fearing that if you did they would get hurt again. You cried while removing the ruined limb. You cried as Zorua cried in pain. You refused to stop crying as you wrapped up the amputated leg. You cried as Zorua passed out in your arms. You cried silently for the whole night. 

Dragonair’s comforting presence didn't stop your tears. Scolipede sitting outside your tent didn't either. Umbreon and Absol licking your tears and face didn't stop them either. They only stopped when you passed out from exhaustion. 

You woke up late that morning. The Pokemon having let you sleep in. It wasn't noon but it wasn't sunrise either. You wanted to be up and moving as the sun rose. 

You called over Scolipede and worked on finding the best way to safely put Zorua and Emolga on his back. Once that was solved you finished packing. 

You walked alongside Scolipede the others choosing to make the trip in their pokeballs. 

After an hour or two of walking, you felt the exhaustion start to kick in. A nearby Sawsbuck watched as you nearly collapsed under your own weight. The Pokemon drew closer to your group, bending his head down to check on you. 

”Are you alright?”

”I’ll be fine, I just need a moment, ” you said panting.

”Allow me to help you reach your destination.” the Pokemon watched your reaction. 

You didn't have a chance to answer before Scolipede spoke up. ”If you would be so kind.”

With a nod, Sawsbuck allowed you access to his back. ”Please hop on.”

”Thank you.”

With Sawsbuck carrying you the trip back to your home was much easier. You walked until it started to grow dark. Now only about a half, a day's walk from your home. 

You didn't bother setting up a tent or anything, just a sleeping bag, and got to work on starting a fire. Sawsbuck stayed for dinner as a thank you for his much-appreciated help. 

Scolipede ended up laying on the ground by your head, Zorua, and Emolga were curled up beside you. Dragonair stayed in his Pokeball after dinner. Umbreon and Absol were sitting by the dimming fire. 

You stayed up for a while just watching them sleep. You allowed the self-hatred to bubble up just for a moment. It was your fault, and there was no making up for it. You were left alone with your thoughts as the stars sparkled in the night sky. 


	8. Chapter 8

N unaware of your inner turmoil was waiting for your return. He was handing out meals for each Pokemon. He watched as they played and ate in peace. 

Litwick whined about the food, saying ”it tastes better when you make it.” N could only laugh at the pokemon’s harsh criticism. Yet, ever since the previous night, Litwick refused to leave N’s side. 

Before N started on lunch he checked for any traps in the forest. Luckily only finding two empty ones that he swiftly removed. 

You returned when N was finishing up lunch. He saw you walking alongside Scolipede and into the clearing around your home. The Pokemon seeing your return joyfully ran towards you. They surrounded you and cheered at your return just to quiet down moments later. 

At the silence, N walked over towards the crowd. You didn't look at N you kept your head down and removed Zorua and Emolga from Scolipede’s back. The crowd of Pokemon moved as you set down Zorua and Emolga. 

N looked on not saying a word as the Pokemon looked over the others. You watched your hair hanging in your eyes. You let your Pokemon out their Pokeballs before removing the rest of the stuff from Scolipede. 

You stepped aside and out of the crowd making your way towards N. You didn't stop to speak to him though. Just walked past him. He saw the bags under your eyes, along with the mess of your hair. His heartbreaking as he saw your condition. 

Zorua ended up incredibly adjusting fast. Emolga got used to the new Pokemon and spent the majority of her day eating berries and laying in the sun. 

You, however... Stopped. You stopped eating actual meals, preferring to grab a snack in the morning. You stopped talking to him in anything more than a few words, and you couldn't sleep. You were tearing yourself up, and N didn't know how to fix it. N needed to start somewhere, so he knocked on your door. 

He had made you a basic sandwich with a glass of hot chocolate. He needed to get you to eat something. 

When you opened the door you looked half dead. You had a lot of weight, and your eyes looked sunken in.

”Can I come in?”

You didn't say anything just opened the door and walked towards your bed. 

When N looked around the room he saw maps strewn across the floor; notes, and markers surrounding them. Your bed had a notebook that you were writing before he knocked. 

”What do you want?” You sat down on the floor, grabbing your notebook. 

”I brought you something to eat. Gothita helped make it.” he handed you the plate and mug. 

You looked blankly at the food, ”I’m not really hungry.” 

”You have to at least try to eat it. Okay?”

You looked at N and back at the food, and nodded. ”Fine.” You turned back to the map. 

”What are you doing?” N asked, sitting next to you. 

”Pokemon tracking, ” you turned the map so N could see. ”I’m marking where rare Pokemon are spotted. I'm also marking where trappers have been seen.” 

”You’ve been working on it for a while now; you should take a break.” 

”I… I don't think I can, ” you said under your breath. 

”Please take a break. You can't help anyone if you're not taking care of yourself.” N placed his hand on your shoulder. 

”I’ll try. I don't think I'll fall asleep anytime soon.” 

”That's alright, I’ll stay beside you.” 

N took the food from your hands, setting it on the bedside table, before helping you round up all the papers. It didn't take long. 

You both ended up sitting on the bed. You were slowly eating the sandwich N had brought you. N was peacefully sitting with you.

”How are you feeling? I don't want to jump to conclusions, but ever since you came home, you've seemed to be having a hard time.” N looked over at you. 

You let out a sigh putting the sandwich down. ”I can't help but feel that it was my fault.” You laid down on your back and stared at the ceiling. ”I mean, I sent Zorua off with Umbreon, maybe if I sent someone else with…” you trailed off. 

”It’s not your fault; no one could have predicted that this would have happened.” 

”I know, logically it's no one's fault, but I still feel like I'm to blame.” 

”I understand that still, you need to try to work through this. If you don't want to let anyone in your head, that's okay, but you should try to find a way to get them out.” 

”Okay, thank you, N.” 

You both ended up falling asleep. Talking about absolutely nothing important helped you both relax and it made you start feeling better. 


	9. Chapter 9

The sun streamed in through the window, cascading down on N’s face. For the first time, N had woken up before you. He blinked away the sleep turning to see that you sound asleep beside him. Restless nights where you would stay up and work had finally caught up to you. Dark bags under your eyes had started to fade, and you had gotten the rest you seriously needed.

N ran his hand through your hair gently, before getting up. He had to start on the morning chores even if he wanted to stay in bed all day. First on the list was gathering water from the river. 

The pokemon were happily playing in the river when N arrived, bucket in hand. Your Dragonair was lounging on a rock. Water glistened on his skin as he sunbathed. Other wild pokemon were still asleep under bushes. Dragonair raised his head as N walked to the edge of the water. 

“Good morning, my friend,” N smiled, as he knelt down to the water. 

Dragonair nodded in greeting before lowering his head once more. “Have a good morning.”

As N walked back towards the house he saw you kneeling by the berry bushes in your garden. A basket by your side already holding three decently sized potatoes. You had changed into loose-fitting clothes, and your feet were bare. 

You smiled when you saw N, “Good morning, N.”

“How did you sleep?”

“I slept fine, thank you for last night. I didn’t realize how much I needed it.” You turned back to the pecha bush. “I’ll get the rest of the stuff for breakfast if you want to help cook?”

N agreed, heading off to go finish the rest of his chores. 

Once N had entered your kitchen you had started washing off the berries and potatoes. Zorua was standing on their hind legs using their front paw to hold them up as they tried to see what was on the counter. 

“I got the milk,” N said, setting it down on the counter. 

“Great, you want to get started on the pancakes or the hashbrowns?”

“Hash browns, I don’t want you saying I’m messing it up again.” 

“You only put one tablespoon of vanilla in.” 

“I know, and I’m not going to risk it again.” N took the potatoes from your hands and got to work. 

Rolling your eyes you grabbed the bowl and put two cups of flour, a partial cup of sugar, a few teaspoons of baking powder, a fourth teaspoon of baking soda, and less than a pinch of salt into the bowl. 

“They’re better with two teaspoons of vanilla.” 

N sighed picking up the second potato. “I know, I know. Forgetting a teaspoon is unforgivable.”

“That, you got right.” 

You poured part of a stick of melted butter into the bowl, along with milk, and the _ two _ teaspoons of vanilla. You reached over and grabbed an egg from N’s hand. You cracked it into the bowl. 

“I don’t know why you're so hungover, it’s not like it's better than some mini muffins on the side.” 

You looked up from where you were mixing the batter, “You think muffins are better than fresh fruit with whipped cream?” 

“A nice berry muffin is great in the morning.” N nodded.

“A muffin is not the best breakfast side.”

“Who says so?”

“Me.”

“So you’re wrong.”

With your squabbling, you didn’t notice Zorua. The pokemon had backed up and was ready to jump onto the counter. They had leaped onto the counter but with the missing front leg, they lost their balance and slid right into the bowl of batter. Spewing half of the batter across the counter and onto both N and you. 

N laughed snaking the batter off his hands and into your face. Your face heated up and you flicked some of the pancake batter into N’s hair. In retaliation, N threw some more at you. You both ended up slipping in batter and falling onto a laughing pile on the floor.


	10. Chapter 10

N and you had been covered in pancake batter, yet you couldn't stop smiling. Without realizing you placed a soft kiss on N’s cheek and got off the floor. 

“I’ll go get this trouble maker cleaned up. Can you finish breakfast?” 

N nodded quietly, his cheeks stained pink. He sat on the floor for a short while before he shook himself out of his dazed state. 

You walked down to the river with a Zorua in your arms. Thankfully you were going to do laundry after breakfast so the whole batter mishap was not a big problem. 

You unwrapped Zorua’s leg and got to work on not only taking care of the amputation but the batter that caked the small Pokémon. 

“Stop! I don't want a bath!” Zorua cried out. 

You rubbed their head and set them down. “You need one though, I’m glad you’re feeling better with your leg even if you cause this much trouble already.”

You washed off the batter from their fur all the while Dragonair watched the scene from his rock upstream. Once you were nearly complete Dragonair swam down towards you. 

You let the small trickster fox down to run off to where ever with a laugh. Scooping some water into your hands you started rinsing off your face and hair. 

Dragonair swam up to your side. “How are you?”

“Dragonair.” You looked up from the water, “Would you like something to eat? N is making pancakes now if you want some?” 

Dragonair narrowed his eyes at N’s name. “He’s making pancakes?” 

“Yes, though I could make you something else if you wanted?” 

“I don’t need anything special, but I wanted to ask you about something.” 

“What things?” You asked him as you wiped off as much of the batter as you could.

“Why do you let that man stay here and why didn’t you let me help during the mission?”

“N and the mission?” You looked at the Pokémon, “I don’t mind the company, he’s nice to have around? I don’t get why you are asking about him.” 

“What about the mission!” He shouted, “why didn’t you let me help?” 

“I wanted to have you on standby in case I needed more help to fight my way out at the mission.” 

“But if I was helping I could have made sure Zorua didn’t get hurt!” Dragonair cried. 

“Is that what this is about?” 

“Zorua got hurt because you didn’t let me help!”

“No honey, it was an accident. No one could change it, if I could I would, you know this.” You reach out to Dragonair. 

“You let this stranger stay here, our safe place, and Zorua got hurt too!” He hung his head, “Am I not enough?”

You pulled Dragonair into your arms. “No, no, you’re perfect, you’re more than enough. I love you. I've loved you ever since I met you for the first time.” Hour hugged your crying pokemon. “Even in death, I will always love you.” 


	11. Chapter 11

Your relationship with Dragonair was still rocky. Dragonair felt like you didn't believe in him and because of that Zorua lost a leg. You didn't think that in the slightest and were trying to mend your relationship. 

Dragonair ended up spending the night in your room, refusing N any entry into the room. After finding out you had fallen asleep in the same room Dragonair flipped out. Something about ”gross men” you didn't really understand the whole problem. 

Even though you and Dragonair were having some problems N could tell that both of you wanted to work through them. N saw the care you gave Dragonair when you came back from the river; the Pokémon trying his best to not be noticed while following you. 

The day after the whole pancake mishap you were back helping Zorua with the missing leg. If the previous morning was a hint, relearning somethings were still required. Zorua was going to endure a series of obstacles that would hopefully allow them to get used to running, jumping, and possibly help them find ways to climb in the case of an emergency. 

This was something that not many people had seen before. Pokemon professors and caregivers rarely talked about how to care for disabled pokemon. A fear you had going into this was that you would go about this in a way that while suitable for a disabled human would prove harmful to a pokemon. The only thing working with you is being able to understand the pokemon. 

Zorua healed extremely fast, the use of potions was greatly appreciated, you don’t know what you’d do without them. The pokemon in question had the amputated area completely healed, minus the scaring, in only a couple of weeks. You were grateful to have not botched the procedure, having done it in the middle of the woods and at night no less. 

You had set up a series of rocks that Zorua would jump across. They were not high off the ground not wanting to risk a broken bone on top of a missing limb. The stones were a mixture of different sizes and distances away from each other, the goal being for Zorua to be able to learn to adjust hopefully as fast as they could with all four limbs. 

The plan was for Zorua to run the route multiple times a day, and for them to be mixed up the next day. So far it was proving to be helpful. Zorua would be given a few times to go through it slowly and figure out what jumps weren’t possible for them and which were too easy. This was proving to be successful by the fifth day, Zoura was going with the other pokemon on their walks throughout the woods, with you asking a Pidove to find you in case something happened. 

After two weeks of N and you working with Zorua they were still doing the same drills but on natural rocky areas. They had started to figure out ways to climb onto places and pull themselves up. Zorua never getting more than a few bumps and scrapes. 

This improvement in Zorua’s physical condition not only affected them but Dragonair and your emotional well-being. As Zorua got better and regained the ability to do the things they used to, Dragonair and you felt less guilt over the accident. 

You and N were doing great too, after working with Zorua for weeks N proposed you take a break, away from the forest. A feeling of unease and guilt bubbled in your stomach at the idea. Still feeling some bit of guilt over Zorua you weren’t sure if you could leave everyone alone yet. 

A Lilligant that would visit your home teased you about it. “You’ve helped teach all of those pokemon to fight, and to do it well. Trainers in the nearby town know that even a Pidove packs quite the punch. Take some time for yourself, Scolipede will make sure nothing happens to any of them.” 

“Okay fine, I’ll go.” You told N after he asked a third time. 


	12. Chapter 12

You were sitting on your bed as Lillagant and Umbreon dug through your closet. After you agreed to head into town they both took it upon themselves to find an outfit for you. They had strewn clothes across the room. 

Umbreon was looking at your shoes whining about how they’re all boots or super sturdy. Not to mention most of them had dirt and mud on them. 

Lillagant was complaining about the lack of variety in your closet. “Everything is dull muted and earthy tones, why don’t you have a little bit of color in here?” 

All while they dug through your room looking for “the perfect outfit” you sat on your bed looking into herbology books. “I don’t get why this matters, we’re just heading into town for a day.”

“Just heading into town?” Lilligant wailed in horror, “This is the perfect time for you to form a relationship! It’s not  _ just  _ a trip into town.” 

“Lil, I can’t find anything should I go find Leavanny?” Umbreon asked, hopping out of your closet. 

“Please do, they’re hopeless.”

You now nursing a mild headache shook your head, and went back to your book. 

While you were dealing with the chaos in your room, N was being stalked by Dragonair. Dragonair  _ never _ let N out of his sight. You had no idea what to do about it and neither did N. You both silently agreed to just let it happen. 

N was currently walking with Scolipede through the woods looking at the traps. “Do you have any idea what’s going on with Dragonair?” N asked, letting a deerling out of a trap. 

“He’s overprotective. He won’t do anything other than watch you for the most part.”

“For the most part?” N asked for clarification. 

“He’ll complain about you and say that your awful if he finds even the smallest thing wrong with you, but he won’t do anything to you.” 

“How often does he do this?” 

“Not too often, he did it with me though.”

“Explain,” N prompted, as they cleared the trap and moved on.

“Well, it has been a few years since it happened,” he scratched at his side, “It was when I started traveling with the others. Dragonair was their first partner so I guess that’s why they’re so close.’

“That makes sense, they do seem really in touch with each other.”

“Yes, however, I don’t know the full extent of their relationship. They were together since they were kids, that’s really all I know.”

“That helps me understand a bit better, thank you.”

“It’s no problem. If he starts making you uncomfortable bring it up and we’ll talk to him about it.”

“Okay, I’ll keep that in mind.” N nodded, walking up to another empty trap. 


	13. Chapter 13

You and N had left for town at noon. While this whole thing was supposed to be for you to “take a break” you had your suspicions it was Lilligant’s weird matchmaking thing. You had taken the liberty of making a list of things to pick up while you were out. 

“Even when you’re supposed to be relaxing, you’re working,” N joked, as you pick out some bandages and healing potions. 

“I know, I know.” you shook your head, “I needed to pick some stuff, so I thought I should while we’re here.”

The lack of any pokemon following you made it much easier to get what you needed. No Umbreon who sneaks in treats. Not a Dragonair who just stares at what they want without saying anything. Not even Axew, who would run through the store by your side. 

Even when the Pokémon you traveled with caused problems, it didn’t feel right shopping alone. The lack of one by your side made you feel uneasy. 

N had picked up on you feeling off a while ago. He knew you always traveled with a Pokémon of some kind. They placed their hand in yours as you almost started to panic. 

You jumped at the sudden touch.

“You alright?” N asked softly. Squeezing your hand lightly. 

“Yeah,” you took a deep breath, “I’m alright.”

You followed N through the city after you picked up some of the smaller things you needed. The place was busy and filled with people, something you weren’t used to. As you walked through the place you often found your eyes wandering around. 

“Where are we going exactly?” you finally asked. The growing crowds made your stomach twist in discomfort. 

“We’re almost there, just another block or so, okay?” N, smiled at you, rubbing his thumb over the knuckles of your hand.

N lead you down two more blocks before leading you into a fairground. The bright lights shone against the lavender sky. The large groups of people were loud. The many different smells of food and sweets made your nose tired. 

“Sorry about the crowds, I want to take you to ride the Ferris Wheel with me.” N pulled you through the crowd, always checking to make sure you never became overwhelmed. 

You held onto N’s hand scared of getting separated. Having never been to a place like this you were worried about getting lost. 

N stood next to you, his hand intertwined with yours as you waited in line. You were both happy with standing in silence. Both of you shared the same loving smile. 

You both rode the Farris wheel in silence. Sitting next to each other your hands intertwined. Peacefully, and without a care in the world you watched the honey lavender sky. Fade to a deep dark blue. Stars peeked through the dark sky and clouds. 

When the ride ended you both stopped to get something to eat. You had no clue what some of the foods were and just chose to get a serving of yakisoba. N got something with a name you didn’t recognize. 

“I don’t get what a corn dog is, it's not made of corn or a dog?” You said mostly to yourself when you and N started heading home. 

“The name comes from the fact that it’s dipped in is a cornbread batter,” N explained though it sounded more like a question. 

N laughed as you slowly shook your head. Both of you found a nice secluded area to eat. It was underneath a tall willow tree, surrounded by flowers. The area was beautiful and peaceful. You and N sat side by side, leaning against the tree.

The two of you sat there for a while, even when you both finished eating. N watched you and the pokemon. His thoughts were filled with how beautiful you looked, and how kindhearted you were. N secretly wished that he could look into your head to see how you felt about him. 

You were reclusive, you didn’t live close to other people. You spent every day working for the pokemon and making them happy. Instead of thinking about yourself, you took care of the world around you. If you saw injustice you took charge and called it out. 

It occurred to N as he sat next to you. Even when you lived far away from people, you took note of society when you traveled. You may not have understood some things people did but you always thought of others; that made N fall in love with you all over again. 


	14. Chapter 14

N woke up in the middle of the night, an unexplainable feeling shaking him awake. His eyes scanned across your room, everything was in the same spot. You were sound asleep a newly hatched Petilil curled up in your arms. 

The strange feeling clung to N. Nothing was wrong, every pokemon was accounted for, you were asleep. Nothing was out of the normal. The sound of rain had lulled everyone to sleep hours ago. 

N, after triple checking that everyone was accounted for went back to sleep. He laid in bed listening to the soft pitter-patter of rain. All the while he watched you sleep, a soft smile tracing his lips. The worry that was bulling in his gut slowly died out and he slipped back into a peaceful dream. 

When N woke up the morning after the date you were already out. N found you working in the garden. Trailing behind you was a small abnormally colored Lillipup along with the small Petilil. The two happily bounced around you, weaving through the bushes. 

“Morning,” N said, crouching down next to you. 

“How did you sleep?” You looked over at N, “I heard you get up in the middle of the night.” 

N shook his head, “Don’t worry about it, I just couldn’t sleep for some reason.” 

“Hopefully you sleep better tonight.” You went back to tending to the plants. “What do you want for breakfast?”

N thought for a moment before answering, “Whatever you want.”

“Honeybuns?” 

The Petilil squealed at your idea. “Yes! I want some!”

“That’s a yes if I ever heard one.” 

It was now noon. You stood in the kitchen preparing pokemon food for lunch. N stood nearby hiding meds in a sick pokemon’s food. Since you guys had leftover honey buns from breakfast you decided that it would be nice to give everyone some as a midday snack. While in the middle of setting things up for lunch Dragonair appeared at your side. 

“I found the thing.” He swayed his head from side to side. 

“The thing?” N heard your answer. 

You had a look of confusion on your face. One eyebrow raised, and you blinked trying to remember what his words meant. Whatever the “thing” was. You had forgotten about it. 

“Let me show you!” Dragonair bounced happily. 

You gave N an apologetic look as Dragonair pushed you towards a closet. N watched you and Dragonair head over to a closet in the living room. The door was already pushed open and some boxes pilled inside. 

Dragonair slid a box to your feet; looking up at you to open it. The box was a dark faded green and was covered in dust. You knelt down and slipped the lid off of the box. N heard you let out a soft gasp, looking over to see you smile.

“Thank you, Dragonair.” You kissed his head, standing upland bringing the dusty box over to the kitchen. 

N looked over your shoulder to peer into the box. An old record player was inside. The player was a light blue that appeared to have been sunbleached. With a clean cloth, you wiped off the dust. 

You helped N with serving lunch before grabbing the record player and a vinyl record that looked older than the player itself. Letting your food sit for a while you worked on setting it up. Once the music started you let out a joyful laugh and went to eat. N noticed that you had a soft smile while eating, and Dragonair’s tail waved to the music. 

Once the pokemon finished eating some of them started to dance to the music. N and you watched a soft smile painted on both of your faces. You couldn’t ask for anything more than this. 

When the song change you stood up and offered your hand to N. Without thinking N took it. You pulled N up and led him to a clear spot in the grass. 

“Follow my lead.’ You smiled up at N, his heart-melting with merry. 

Stepping in time with the song you held each other tightly. You spun in slow circles, traveling through the clearing. N’s cheeks were coated in a light pink and he couldn’t take his eyes away from yours. You both shared the same sickly sweet smile. As the song came to an end you kissed. Soft and pleasant. You let yourselves stay in each other’s arms for a minute longer than necessary. 

Everything was perfect. 


	15. Chapter 15

It was the middle of the night when it started. Everyone had been asleep for a while. You and N were both asleep in bed, limbs tangled together. A book laid abandoned on the floor, having been kicked off the bed hours ago. 

The silence of the night was broken with a shrill cry. It echoed through the forest waking not only the pokemon but the two of you. The cry tore the two of you out from a peaceful dream. Both of you jumped out of bed the sheets clinging to your legs. You hastily slipped into shoes flying through the door. Pokemon dashed through your legs fleeing into your home in seak of a hiding place. 

Scolipede and Dragonair stood tall and proud ushering smaller pokemon to safety. Scolipdede charged at a Herdier that was chasing down a Petilli. Dragonair attacked a Liepard causing it to drop a Whimsicott. 

You and N both ran into the stampede of pokemon. You scooped up an armful of Joltik, placing them on the back of a Sawsbuck. You told them to cross the river, hoping that they’d be safer near town. N trailed after you through the trees, stopping momentarily to free a deerling that had gotten stuck in a net. 

Neither of you had any idea of what caused the pandemonium, but you soon found out. You stopped in horror when you ran into pokemon hunters. A large net entangled you Absol, and two large men were trying to catch Umbreon in a trap. 

“Absol!” you shouted, tackling one of the men trying to catch Umbreon. “Use Night Slash!”

The second man pulled you off of the other by your hair. He pushed you to the ground, allowing the other to continue to try to get his grimy hands onto Umbreon. You watched Absol desperately try to cut the ropes. 

You laid face-first on the ground. Unable to shake the man off. You heard the man shout for assistance, his hand pulling your head up by your hair before slamming it down onto the ground. 

N had caught up to you to see the same scene you did, along with you restrained by the large man. He grabbed hold of a large branch and swung. The man fell to the ground, knocked out cold. 

You pushed yourself off the ground in time to see three more men appear through the trees. Your face burned and your eyes watered. A fist full of hair fell from your head. Dirt and mud-covered your face and clothes. 

N ran to Umbreon once he helped you up. You chose to run towards Absol, helping to untangle the ropes that still ensnared their legs. You looked over Absol and told them to use future sight. 

Umbreon growled at the men nipping at their hands when they got to close. N ran up behind one of the men and pulled him away from Umbreon. The man elbowed N in the face. Umbreon used this distraction to send a Dark Pulse at one of the men. 

Absol bent down waiting to pounce when the three new arrivals called out for their pokemon. A Krokorok, Mienfoo, and Lampent stood in front of you and Absol. You stood tall refusing to back down. 

“Me first,” You spoke softly just so only Absol could hear. 

The ground shook Absol using the move earthquake. You watched Mienfoo and Krokorok withstand the attack. The Lampent took a serious amount of damage but not enough to be taken out of the battle.

Krokork used earthquake, Absol got hit head-on taking damage but with-standing it. The Mienfoo sent a series of furry swipes at Absol. You stepped in to take a majority of the attack. You didn’t see the Lampent send a shadow ball over your shoulder. 

“Night slash,” you told them, ‘go for Lampent.”

Lampent was swiftly removed from the fight, having passed out from the attack. Its trainer screamed with rage, the two men next to him laughing about how he “only had a weak Lampent.” 

Guilt flooded through your body, making its way into the deepest parts of your heart. You heated pokemon battles, you hatted  _ this,  _ but you couldn’t think of any other way. 

The three Pokemon didn’t seem to fully understand what was going on. They were just enjoying the battle wanting to prove to their trainers that they were powerful. 

Absol was tearing itself apart. They weren’t ever fond of battles. To simply explain it, Absol was scared of themself. After being called the disaster Pokemon when you were just trying to help, you would too. 

You and Absol watched as Krokorok used to attract. Nothing happened, Absol just blinked in response adverting their eyes to the Mienfoo. Mienfoo stood to their tallest and held their arms close to their chest building up an aura sphere. 

Absol stood in front of you and took the attack head-on. Their legs buckled and they nearly collapsed onto the ground. The fur on Absol’s back was singed, they were covered head to toe with dirt, dust, and cuts. They stood back up and readied to attack.

A large amount of psychic energy came down on the opposing Pokemon full force. The Krokorok was unaffected, however, Mienfoo collapsed. It was exhausted and hurt. Mienfoo’s trainer called them back, before charging at you. 

The man startled the Krokorok, the pokemon took a fast step back, tripping over their own feet and falling to the ground. Absol charged at him, slashing his arm leaving three large bloody gashes. With a swift kick from the man, Absol fell to the ground unconscious. 

You were forced back to the ground. Your head hit a root leaving you dazed and confused. The man punched you in the face a number of times. Something warm trickled down your cheek and you tasted something metallic. Everything felt so slow but you couldn’t make sense of any of it. 

You looked on as the man dragged Absol away, some of their white fur left behind in the grass. You looked for N and Umbreon letting out a choked whine for Absol and help. It all went quiet and you laid there in the dark forest. 


	16. Chapter 16

You woke up in a haze, the back of your head pounding, your legs stiff, and your arms sore. When you tried to sit up you were greeted by N gently pushing you back down. Your eyes burned with tears and your body wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep, but your mind ran too crazy to let you. 

“How are you feeling?” N asked, softly pressing the back of his hand against your forehead. “No fever,” N said, mostly to himself. 

“Like crap,” you answered, gazing off into nothingness. A few stray tears falling down your cheeks. 

You and N sat in silence. Last night could only be described as hell, There wasn’t any other way to put it. It had left you both exhausted, mentally, physically. 

Scolipede had been attacked by a group and knocked out just like Absol. Dragonair barely escaped, however, a majority of the eggs they were watching over were stolen. Lastly, Zoura was caught while leading the hunters away from a group of hiding pokemon. 

After a while, you couldn’t stand being stuck in bed. You tried to, you really did, but you just couldn’t. You kept tossing and turning, books didn’t distract you from the anxiety of not knowing where your team members were, not to mention the silence that turned deafening after a few minutes of sitting there. 

Eventually, you just got up. You had been sitting there for what felt like hours even if it wasn’t even close to that. 

The floor was cold. Your head spun as you stood up, tripping over Dragonair’s tail. You reached out attempting to grasp onto the bedside table to steady yourself; only succeeding in knocking a stack of books onto the floor next to where you now laid. 

Dragonair freaked out and was looking you over in seconds. Sniffing at your bruised and licking your cuts. 

N came running into the room too, having heard the loud thud of books. Kneeling next to you he joined Dragonair in checking you over. As soon as he saw you were okay he let out a sigh of relief and melted into the floor. He pulled you to his chest and held you there until Dragonair let out a low and almost playful growl. 

“You have to rest.”

You looked up at N, hair falling into your eyes. “I can’t.’ You let out a shaky breath, “Not yet.” 

“I know,” N pushes your hair out of your eyes. “But you have to be okay when we go and get them back.” 

N’s eyes held a soft fondness in them as he looked into your eyes. It was hard to put in words but you knew that his words were true, even if every part of you wanted to deny it. You needed to last least stay put for a while longer. 

N had you sit back in bed, leaving for a moment. He brought back a plate, a cup, and a pen. The plate N handed you had a salad fresh from your garden, and the glass was filled with fruit juice. 

“Thank you.” You kissed N’s cheek, lightly laughing at N’s flustered face. 

N poked your nose, careful to not touch any spot that was sore or bruised. “Insufferable.” He smiled the same peaceful and happy smile that you saw the first time you kissed. 

You toyed with your salad watching N look through your collection of maps. ON occasion he would marvel at the expertly done details of them, before remembering what he was doing. It wasn’t long before N carried the maps of Unova over to your bed. 

N’ sprawled the maps out across your bed. The maps were large and a mixture of store-bought and hand-drawn. One map had migration routes marked on it, another had rare pokemon sightings. 

“We need to figure out where they are going next,” N spoke, handing you a notepad.

The notebook was filled with what the pokemon had heard the people from the night before talking about. 

“The mountains?” You looked up at N. It was a three-day walk that you had taken not too long ago. 

”Yes.” N pointed to a series of dots all around the mountain range. ”They’ve apparently heard rumors of a rare one of a kind pokemon there.”

”Do we know if they are heading there right away?” 

”Most likely,” N stated, ”They seem to be on a time crunch, in order to get rare and strong pokemon.” 

”Have you figured out their location?” you asked, afraid to know the answer. 

”They’re close and should reach the mountain in just over a day.” N relaid the information gathered. ”They’ll set up a camp at the base of the mountain, while they search for the pokemon they need.” 

You could feel the disgust N had for pokemon hunters. Both of you felt the same way about them. It was cruel to capture wild pokemon and then sell them for a profit. 

”And we don’t know which pokemon they are looking for.” 

”Right.” N looked down at the maps. ”I figured if we look through your pokemon sightings and migration routes we’d be able to get a better understanding of which pokemon they could be looking for.” 

You looked up at N. ”We’ll need to have the rest of the sightings then.” 

N was about to ask you what you meant until he saw you open the drawer of the bedside table. Inside was a notebook that was clearly well used. Beside it was another notepad that was covered in fast-written scribbles. 

”That makes sense.” N muttered as you handed him the notebook. 


	17. Chapter 17

You left before sundown. Since the pokemon trappers were driving to the mountains you needed to leave as soon as you could. You couldn’t afford to give them any more of a head start. 

N and you were traveling light. You both have your own pack of medical supplies and some food. Along with the bag you each had a lock picking kit and a switchblade. That way you could untie pokemon and get them out of cages easier. 

You swung your bag over your shoulder, closing your front door. Leavanny waved you goodbye from where she was dressing the wounds of a Venipede. 

“Be safe!” she called to you.

N stood next to two Sawsbuck who volunteered to get you to the mountains. Dragonair and Umbreon sat by the Sawsbuck’s feet. Dragonair was going to stay in their Pokeball until you arrived in the mountains. Umbreon was staying out to light the way once the sunsets. 

N mounted the Sawsbuck’s back and looked towards you. Umbreon moved to stand in between the two Sawsbuck, the two towering over them. 

You held out Dragonair’s Pokeball, “Ready?”

Dragonair nodded, pressing their head to the ball and returning. You mounted the other Sawsbuck. 

“Let’s go then,” N ran their hand over the top of Sawsbuck’s head. “We have no time to waste.” 

The Sawsbuck’s fur was thick and soft, and you found yourself toying with it. “How fast can you get us there?” 

“We get you two there as fast as you need,” the pokemon looked over their shoulder at you. 

“Thank you.”

They nodded, readying themselves, and started running. The wind blew through your hair. Umbreon was trailing behind you. The trees were blurred as you passed by. Leaves flew up in your face, water slashed up onto your feet and legs. 

N’s stomach bubbled with anxiety. It twisted his guts tying them up in knots. He let out a shaky breath trying to relax. There was no guarantee this plan would work. You were extremely outnumbered, luck wasn’t on your side. 

N looked over at you through the trees. Your fingers were drumming against your leg as you looked forward. Teeth biting your lip, your eyebrows scrunched together, and your eyes narrowed. It was clear, you were scared. He wanted nothing more than to hold you and help you stay calm. N knew that it’d help him calm down, but he couldn’t right now, and you both knew it. 

Right now you two had a pokemon hunter group to dismantle. 


	18. Chapter 18

It was almost sunrise. The hunter’s camp was less than half a mile away. Dawn was less than a few hours out. Calm, that’s what it was. Few pokemon were up, but once the birds woke up the hunters would soon be too. 

N intertwined his fingers with yours, “Are you okay?” 

“I’ll be fine,” you looked into his eyes, “I should be asking you that though.” 

N laid his head on your shoulder. You sat like that for a little while, waiting for the Pokémon to start turning in their sleep. The air was light, and the grass itched your skin. However, neither of you minded as long as you were together, it would all be okay. 

You kissed his forehead standing up. The horizon was starting to change colors, and you needed to move. 

”I love you.” your handheld his cheek, ”We have to get them back, and then we can do whatever you want, alright?” 

”I’ll be holding you to that.”

You pulled away from his grasp, arms falling to your sides. With a soft smile, you reserved only for N you turned to fulfill your part of the plan. 

N hated the bubbling sensation that he felt the night before this happened. It twisted his insides the same way it did then. His mouth was dry, and he found himself clenching and unclenching his fists over and over again. Against his better judgment, he tore his eyes away from where you went walking in the opposite direction. 

You climbed up onto the rocks. Sticking to spots where you’d be hard to spot, you made sure to have a perfect view of the surrounding area. It was difficult to find sturdy footholds in the dim light, but you made it work. Within a few moments of finding a good spot, you heard them. 

Hushed voices grew closer, a well-sized group of people coming up the path. You saw a flashlight scan over the rocks below you, ducking down to stay hidden. You counted five, three men and to women from what you could tell. 

You stalked the groups from above. For being on a wall of rock staying out of sight was easier than expected. The group was too busy talking about some mundane topic. They were so full of themselves that they didn't think anyone would get in the way of their sweet, sweet money. 

It made you sick, the way they showed no remorse. Their smiles and cruel laughter. It echoed in your skull, mocking you, it made you turn against yourself. You break your promise, stung your heart leaving you in silent agony. Nonetheless, you needed to succeed this time. 

Across the wooded food of the mountain, N was sneaking the way into their camp. Large trucks held cages of pokemon. N could hear their cries. 

They called for help and salvation, but when they screamed out they were hit. Bruise lined their sides. They were sore from the bars and sleeping on solid steel. Cuts cover their feet making walking and standing painful. Their bindings only got worse the stronger they were. 

Scolipede was chained down, unable to move his head. They had a large gash that wasn’t taken care of properly. The small unusually colored Iillipup nearby refused to take their eyes off of it. The small pup was laying down on the bottom of his cage watching Scolipede. He didn’t talk to Scolipede because it was too scary. 

A gust of wind changed lillipup’s entire attitude. The wind lightly tugged on N’s hair, sending his scent towards the pokemon. 

“Help!” Lillipup jumped to his feet, “Please you have to help! He’ll die without help!” 

N felt his heart shatter. Scolipede? Dying? You loved them all like family, but you had a special spot in your heart for your team. N wanted nothing more than for you and pokemon to be happy. He hated the idea of choosing one over the other. He couldn’t stand to see you go through it, he refused to. 

“Are there any guards?” N asked, shuffling closer to the cages. 

“Two.” the pokemon nodded “The one will be back soon, please, you have to help!” he pleaded. 

“I will,” N soothed the pokemon, “I will, but I have to get the uninjured out first.” N crept closer to Lillipup’s cage. 

A steel padlock. N wasn’t great at lock-picking, but if he messes up... He didn’t want to think about the consequences. The low light made N unbearably anxious. He can’t see people coming, but that doesn't mean they can’t. Painstakingly, he worked his already fast heartbeat only quickened when he saw a flashlight shine onto nearby trees.

_ Crunch. Crunch, Crunch.  _ Footsteps, someone drew closer. Dried leaves from the early fall smashing under their feet.  _ Crunch. Crunch. Snap!  _ A twig, it echoed across the lavender morning sky. 

Scolipede opened his eyes, just a bit. He glanced weakly around the area before his eyelids became too heavy. He slipped in and out of sleep and fought to keep his eyes open. With the absence of mobility due to his bindings, he wasn’t able to stay awake; exhaustion took over his body. 

As Scolipede fell asleep, Lillipup started to stir, the anxiety of the situation finally bubbling and spilling over. N, worked quickly and quietly. Lillpup pranced around the cage fighting to conceal his need to howl. A faint click made N’s heart jump. To N the soft click seemed to shatter glass with how loud it was. In reality, though, it could have easily been confused for a raindrop tapping the side of a window.

With the cage open and the grunt coming closer N scooped the pokemon into his arms and took the padlock with him when he hid back in the bushes. Leaves rustled against N’s shirt, a twig stabbing him in the ribs. Uncomfortable would be a compliment. His knee was jammed in between roots, his hair was caught in the branches. 

_ Crunch, crunch, crunch.  _ The guard had walked up towards Scolipede’s cage. Lillipup squirmed lightly; his inner voice wanted to scream at N to stop them, and he wanted to scream at his kidnapper. Due to the slight squirming of N and Lillipup the sound of leaves moving made the guard look over. 

The flashlight blinded N and lillipup. Both froze unmoving.  _ Don’t see us, please don’t see us.  _ The fear made N’s guts twist, tying a knot in his stomach. 

I was a few seconds that dragged out into an agonizing minute. The soft muffled footsteps got closer to the hiding spot. Then finally the light moved and the grunt walked away. Completely ignorant of the new empty cage. 

As soon as the man was out of sight and out of hearing distance, then, and only then, did N get out of the bushes. The heavyweight of being caught lessoned. 

When the skyline changed to a rosy peach; N’s part of the plan was fulfilled. 


	19. Chapter 19

Stalking someone while crawling over rocks isn’t fun. Your hands had small rocks buried in the skin. You had a few scratches from a, particularly sharp stone. Muscles burned from when you had nearly fallen back to the ground. Not ideal in the slightest. 

A giant cave and ravine had appeared; the group of kidnappers started to buzz. One kept speaking too loud, another seemed antsy. They pulled out their flashlights once more.

Before daring to even step foot in the cave a woman grabbed a rock. She motioned for them to step away from the entrance, the group split in half one on each side of the cave’s entrance. The woman hoisted her arm back before shooting the rock into the mouth of the cave. 

The cave echoed the sound, resonating a terrifying cry from inside. A flock of Woobat and Swoobat flew out of the cave. Crashing into each other, tumbling out of the sky, and collapsing in dirt and rock. 

They didn’t wait, launching themselves at the group of hurt and scared pokemon. Pulling them apart; the smaller ones getting trampled as they tried to fly away. Cries of pain and fear echoed through the area. Going silent as they were forcefully put into pokeballs. 

A shiver ran up your spine. You could hear them still. 

“Help!”

“Let us out!”

“Mom! Help me!”

“Please get me out!” 

Again and again, they screamed. Silent cries to many but to you they echoed around your skull. Pounding against your head. Beating your mind senseless, and making you scared as well. 

“Are they even worth anything?”

“I doubt it.” A tall buff guy said, “They look pretty weak.”

A shorter woman spoke next. “They’re not worth a lot, yes, but they aren’t native to many regions. I’d recommend we sell them to those areas.”

“A few looked a lot smaller than normal,” a thin pale man said, tying his shoe.

“We’ll make some cash from the stronger of the bunch don’t worry.” The woman who threw the rock spoke. She had her hair tied up in a bun, and a pair of sunglasses resting atop her head. “If we get what we need fast enough we can weed through them and get rid of the weak ones, sound good?”

“Yes,” the others spoke in unison. 

The woman picked up her flashlight and moved towards the cave’s entrance. “Care to direct us, Janna?”

“Right,” the short girl spoke, tucking messy blonde hair behind her ear. “We’ll need to go straight for a while,” a grey device in her hand beeped, “It’s difficult to get to the cavern we need. We’ll have to do some climbing.”

“Which cavern is it again?” the man asked, though it sounded like it was for himself. 

“Crystal guards in the winter’s night, where the moonlights.” The blonde girl answered with a line from an old children’s tale. 

You knew the line. You’ve heard it, read it but you can’t place it. All you can remember is a dragon. A beautiful silver dragon, whose coat caught the light, and the eyes that shone with an unnatural light.

“I… what?” 

“You haven’t read it?” she asked, sounding hurt. Fake tears -or maybe they were real- building in her eyes. 

“Read what?” the consistently silent member of the group asked. 

“The Silver Dragon!” she shook her head, “It’s only the best children’s story to come out of Unova!” 

The group ignored the girl, entering the mouth of the cave. You watched them disappear into the darkness of the cave. Shadows slowly covering in a cloak of darkness. You waited until they were gone to move. 

“The Silver Dragon” an old children’s tale. You’ve read it before, you know you have. The picture of a SIlver coated dragon painted with watercolors was too solid to disprove that. A golden sunrise, reflecting off of white snow, and ice engulfed the cave. 

“The Ice King’s Cavern.” It came out a whisper, as you were about to make your way down to the cave. “The Ice King’s Cavern!” Louder the second time, more confident, and much more self-assured. 

You reached back up, grasping onto a sharp rock. A scratch burned on you thigh as you cut yourself on the rocks. Ice King’s Cavern is at the top of the mountain, it’s said to be where an old ancient pokemon lives. There’s ways to get to it but not many can make it that far, the large amount of wild pokemon usually turns people away. Especially since they’re so abnormally strong around there. 

_ “But these are pokemon hunters,”  _ you thought, “ _ They thrive off of strong pokemon.”  _ They don’t care about the dangers of losing their team if it means money. A well-balanced team only does so much against a group with more than enough cannon fodder to last days. Normal trainers have rules, but they don’t. 

The sound of a bird drew you out of your trance. Looking up to the sky you saw N, riding on the back of a swana. White fathers fluttered down, getting stuck in your hair. Swana swooped down landing at your side. 

“I got them.” N handed you three pokeballs, “Scolipede will need medical attention, but he’ll be okay.” 

You took N’s outstretched hand, letting him help you onto Swana’s back. 

“Thank you,” You spoke softly to them. You let N wrap his arms around your chest before you told them where to go. “The Ice King’s Cavern. They’ll be heading there.”

“Are they really going after…” N trailed off,  _ They had to go after one of the strongest pokemon in Unova?  _

“Kyurem,” you finally said it. 

With a deep shaky sigh, N kissed your temple. It comforted you even though it was N’s way of comforting himself. “We should move then.” He rested one hand on Swana’s back signaling them to go, “Any headstart we can get is a good one.” 

Then within a cloud of white fathers, you were off. 


	20. Chapter 20

The snow-covered the mountain top, sheets of snow made landing difficult. The icy craven was hard to spot through a bright mixture of glass and snow. Freezing temperatures chewed on your fingers, nipped at your ears, and left you with a bright-colored nose. 

You thanked Swana for getting you as high as they could. Leaving you two abandoned at the top of a mountain in the snow. Snow ended up filling your socks and soaking your feet with ice-cold water. 

The snow wasn’t as deep as it looked. Much too thin to hide any pokemon. It may have been thin but that didn’t make the danger of slipping on ice any less probable. The danger of slipping off the mountain was a real one. 

You and N needed to find the cavern, which was notoriously difficult to locate through the snow. The discovery of it was rumored to have been someone falling into it through the snow. Now you had to treat the only parts you’ve heard as truth or close to it. 

“Where the moonlights,” it was light on your lips, a mutter to help you think. “Moon… lights,” again you said it thinking but drawing a blank. 

The white snow covered everything, you couldn’t see anything but it. Everything felt empty. A blank canvas with no inspiration. 

“Somewhere the moon shines down…” N trailed off, looking up at a tall cliff. “What if,” N started, stepping away from the large cliff, “It’s up there.” He pointed towards the stone spire. You were too far to see the top and too close to the edge to back up any further. 

“It makes sense, it’s cold enough that it doesn’t melt, and the moon would shine directly on it. 

“How do you suppose we get up?” N asked.

Swinging your bag off your shoulder you spoke, “Up for a little mountain climbing?” 

N wasn’t fond of being this high up. The ground was so far down, and It felt like he was still at the bottom when he looked up. You had gotten up to the top and secured a rope for him. His heart nearly gave out when he saw you jump to a rock. He swore that he was going to talk to you about that. 

The harness that you had put on him was digging into his skin. Definitely not the worst thing he’s dealt with. N had to applaud your free climbing, even with a harness on he felt like he was going to fall. 

You grabbed onto N’s hand, pulling him up onto the top of the cliff. A large cove carved out into the top of the cliffs stared back at you. Glass like ice reflecting the sun, surrounded in a halo of light. Further back resting in the dark shadows you could see the ice fog and clear up in a rhythmic pattern. 

Ice crunched under your foot as you took a step closer. The shadow moved as the sound danced across the walls. Golden eyes blinked open, the form rising to its feet. Towering over you and N. 

“Why are you here,” a loud, tired, and gravelly voice asked.

“We have tracked a group of Pokemon traffickers here,” N spoke first. 

“They are after you,” you continued. 

“I can fend for myself.” Anger filled his voice, his foot shattering ice as he stomped towards you. 

“We don’t doubt that,” N paused, “But with sheer numbers alone,”

“We can cut them off at least free the last of the pokemon they have gotten ahold of.”

“You’ll have my aid for that then,” Kyurem bowed his head slightly, “But to know that you are not allowed to return here again.” With that he turned away, letting the shadows coat him once more. 

So you and N were left to wait in the cold ice palace that Kyurem called home. 


End file.
